Thursday, June 18, 2009

In these tough financial times, it seems that everyone is preoccupied with the question of how to save money. TV, newspapers and magazines constantly cover the dilemma of how to decrease your spending and balance your budget. In the face of all this media coverage, it’s easy to become anxious about your financial future. If you’ve spent one too many nights pondering your own monetary fears, I’m happy to say that I have good news to offer you. You may already be in possession of one of the best money-saving devices in the world! Even better, you don’t need a business degree to make the most of this important asset. The financial tool of which I speak is none other than your common housecat.

The first way in which your cat can save you money is by reducing your medical expenses. The Centers for Disease Control website states that owning a pet can decrease your blood pressure as well as lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Additionally, a recent study at the University of Minnesota's Stroke Research Center suggests that people who have owned cats at some point in their lives have significantly lower rates of death due to heart disease. While this study doesn’t actually prove that cats cause a lower risk of heart attacks, it’s worth considering.

Numerous medical experts, including the Surgeon General, have stated that there is an inextricable link between mental and physical health. An exhaustive study of the people in my household (performed by me) proves definitively that owning a cat can improve your mental health. Study participants reported that even after a hard day at work, their cat was always happy to see them… as long as they had food, treats, or a warm lap to sit in. And what cat owner hasn’t experienced a drop in anxiety levels while sitting on the couch with a lapful of purring kitty goodness?

Now that you’ve heard about the undeniable savings you’ll see on your medical bills, I’m sure you need no further reasons to adopt a cat today. But wait… this is only one of the exciting financial benefits of welcoming a cat into your home! A second way that a feline friend can improve your bottom line is by providing free entertainment twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that an animal capable of using its own tail as a toy can be pretty fun to watch and play with.

No expensive accessories are required in order to enable this feature of your cat. Cat toys are generally cheap and easy to obtain. Standard toys such as catnip mice can be purchased at your local pet store for less than a dollar apiece, and can provide hours of entertainment for you and your cat. In fact, most cats will even play with items that are not intended to be toys, such as those plastic rings you pull off your bottles of milk when you open them. Our cat can also be whipped into a playful frenzy with the aid of a laser pointer that we bought for a whopping three dollars at our local drugstore.

The entertainment value of your cat will increase exponentially if you own more than one. In households with multiple cats, play will occur even if the owners don’t initiate it or provide any toys. However, living in a house with multiple cats is similar to renting an apartment above a dance club: there’s no guarantee that the party will stop when you’re ready to go to sleep. Still, that’s nothing a cheap pair of earplugs can’t fix.

As if these astounding features aren’t reason enough to start saving money today by owning a cat, there is a third way that your cat can help you achieve a stable economic profile. Having a cat in your home may decrease the money you spend on common household items. For example, why turn up the heat in the wintertime when you can cuddle with your cat to keep warm? And when your alarm clock breaks, you won’t need to replace it. Get into the habit of feeding your cat every morning before you get ready for work, and you will never need an alarm clock again. Your cat will faithfully wake you up when it is time to get ready for work on weekdays by meowing incessantly. In fact, your cat will work overtime to ensure that you are trained to wake up on time every day, even if your office is closed.

After hearing all the ways a cat can help you become financially solvent, I’m sure you’re ready to run right out and adopt one. After all, your cat can help you save money on medical bills, provide free entertainment, and reduce your spending on common household items. With benefits like these, your cat will pay for itself in less than a year. And by adopting from a shelter, you can get even more savings by reduced overhead on shots and immunizations! Don’t miss out on the savings any longer… welcome a cat into your home today!